Cord completely stuck

[user]

Dear Sirs:

My sons received a Powerball for Xmas and the cord immediately stuck inside the ball and we can't get it out. We have no vice and I am sure it will break if I try to get it out, I have tried everything,

Dona Tarpey

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Our comments;

Hello Dona. Please refer to the following link:

http://www.powerballs.com/faq.php?q=37

And if that fails, please note the following suggestion:

Please take the poor fellow and remove the two little screws on each opposite end of the sphere along its circumference under the grip band. (The two sphere halves are precision made and snapped together - the screws are purely cosmetic).

Place it with one of the two empty screw holes sitting squarely on a solid surface (bench, table etc.). This will leave the second [empty] screw hole facing the ceiling.

With the grip band still in place on the ball, bring the soft part of your fist down hard on the vacant hole (which is facing the ceiling).

(Use a similar action as if you were banging your clenched fist down on the desk in an angry gesture - except please ensure that you don't go too hard and hurt your hand as a consequence - you won't damage the sphere, but your hand...well...)

A smart "slap" aimed right on the circumference of the ball where the two halves meet will be sufficient to "Pop" both apart just enough to allow you spread them properly with your fingers.

Once you have them apart, gently unwind the cord and reseat the rotor. "Snap" the two halves back together again all everything will be right as rain!

(This is a useful tip to allow you open the Powerball periodically to keep it 100% clean and free of foreign matter throughout the many years of its life!)

I hope this helps Dona (once again, be careful that you don't hurt your hand by hitting too hard!)

What should I do?

[Zheos]

I got the ball today and the same thing happened to me... I've been trying for 1 hour to open this ball and IT WONT OPEN. I've been hitting it SO HARD. I've try with my fist first, i lay down one empty screw hole on the ground and slap it on the other side as hard as i can... it wont open... Okay now i use a big dictionary , it wont open... im getting frustrated A LOT so i try with my hands again for 15 minutes until i cannot hit it any longer because of the pain. So i've decided to put a piece of cloth on it and use a hammer (with small hit). I almost broke down the plastic but IT WONT OPEN.

I was beginning to have a lot of fun with this ball before the cord stuck in it... Do you think i should try again with the hammer with everything i got to get it open ? Im pretty sure the ball with broke up if i do so.

Why have you made it SO HARD to open ? :(

Unless you have any other idea soon i'll will try again with the hammer with everything i got and i will get this thing open i can tell you, but im sure the ball will never work again after. :(

[donkapone]

try my way of opening - it is simple and you don`t need vise or strong hands or any other device. Take off the counter and the grip band. Then unscrew two small screws on the sides, then put the powerball facing the side where the grip band was on the floor on a hard surface and then slowly put your heel on it holding it with hand to adjust position, when your heel is firmly put on the powerball and powerball does not slip, release the ball with your hand and slowly lean on the powerball with your mass pressing heel against the powerball. Keep leaning with your mass till you hear the "pop" sound - here you go - it is opened.

[Enda]

Why have you made it SO HARD to open ? :(

Good morning Zheos,

In truth the Powerball is actually quite easy to open.

It is simply a matter as donkapone has said of applying constant but firm pressure to the ball and it will simply 'pop' apart. Please see details in our FAQ here (http://www.powerballs.com/faq.php?q=21) for details on opening your Powerball.

Unless you have any other idea soon i'll will try again with the hammer with everything i got and i will get this thing open i can tell you, but im sure the ball will never work again after. :(

Please don't use a hammer to attempt to open the Powerball. This concentrated and excessive force will only damage your Powerball, and will probably render it useless. It really is an easy task to open it, so I would ask you to give it another try. If you feel that its not going to work, please email liz@powerballs.com for further instructions and return details where we will effect the repair here instead (please include a link to this thread).

Regards

Enda
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[The Force]

My experience is that some powerballs are much more easy to open than others.

To say it differently..I have powerballs which even seem to resist my 100kg of weight, they just won't pop. For those powerballs I need several trials..putting pressure from different angles to get the two halves apart. And then yes..finally I succeed, but my hands are then hurting from all the exerted pressure :( .

Is this a known problem to you Enda?

If not, maybe it is wise to contact Nanosecond about this.

Best regards,

The Force

[Enda]

To say it differently..I have powerballs which even seem to resist my 100kg of weight, they just won't pop. For those powerballs I need several trials..putting pressure from different angles to get the two halves apart. And then yes..finally I succeed, but my hands are then hurting from all the exerted pressure :( .

I have never failed to open a Powerball by applying pressure with my foot. Having said that, we do find that when Powerballs are opened using a vise occasionally the Powerball has to be partially popped, and then turned in the vise and pressure applied at a different point before it pops open fully.

I find that people are generally afraid that they will break the upper/lower shell halves when opening the Powerball (I was myself when I did it first day) but once you get it once you'll generally have no problems in the future.

Regards

Enda
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[Zheos]

Thankx for the reply.

It seems like those powerballs have a great community around here.

I'll try again tonite and i hope it will pop. I'll try to stay on it with one leg so all my weigth will be pushing on the ball, maybe it will be enough to make it pop. Maybe i dont know 'how to it hit' but when I've been hitting it with my fist for the first 15 minutes i can tell you that i could easily make a hole in my walls with the kind of punch i was giving to it lol

One thing is for sure, you wont EVER hear any bad comments about the durability of the shell of the powerballs, cuz its tougher than steel lol.

Do i need to 'press' in the middle of the ball ? rigth where the hole (where the screw was) is ? I was wondering if making more pressure on one of the 2 pieces of the shell would make it open easier. I can't say i've not try it cuz i've made all kind of pressure everywhere on the ball last nite lol

On the FAQ it seems like pushing rigth on the hole is the good way to go tho.

If it doesnt work with my feet i will try to put a piece of wood on it, and i'll jump strongly on it to put a high and immediate pressure on the ball. If this doesnt make enough pressure then i'll jump from a chair... if this doesnt work i'll throw the ball from the 4th floor of a building or use a blowing torch (just kidding) lol

I think that i've hitted the ball a little too much last nite, my grip band is looking damaged now (turned to a white color with 2 little hole where the hole for the screw is on the side i was hitting) :( rubber is less resistant than the plastic shell lol

I still found it a little weird that we must 'hit the product' to get it open. Im the kind of person who like to take good care of everything i buy, so what i've done last nite was not something i really like to do on brand new stuff. Even if i make it pop i will have a product that doesnt look like a new one anymore. Well maybe its just that im not good to open it or i have a ball that is REALLY hard to open.

At first when i removed the 2 screws i was thinking i would only have to 'twist it' and pop it would open lol God i was so wrong :p I'll post back some news tonite , it will be like 'IT POPPED !!!!' or 'FORGET IT...' heh

I was having some great fun with it until i screwed it up while i was trying to pull the cord as fast as i can to make it spin faster. I was not aware of the possibility that the cord can stuck on the mecanism if i do something wrong :o

PS : English is not my primary langage, sorry for the incovenient :)

[The Force]

One more thing... before you try to pop your powerball, make sure that the axle of the rotor is not perpendicular to the ground surface (pointing upwards). Instead it should be directed parallel to the ground surface. Otherwise, the axle could make a hole in the shell.

Good luck,

The Force

[KelliShaver]

Try removing the screws, placing it with one screw hole facing up, one pointing down, band still in place and then place a hadback book on top of it. Then give it a good whack with your hand whild holding the book in place with the other. The book will more evenly distribute the force of the blow and will also be easier on your hand than hitting the non-flat surface of the powerball. Rotate 1/2 turn and repeat as needed. Once you get the hang of it, it's really quite simple to pop it open. You shouldn't have to beat the thing to death, just give it a good solid whack.

[Sirex]

i opened my ball for the first time today. -- it did take a few goes (including putting my entire weight on it via my heel!)

in the end i removed the screws, removed the gripband, put the axel facing screw point to screw point, and put the ball on its side so i would strike the ball mid point between the screw points (so the axel is horizontal), then i used the back of my palm where it meets the wrist. -- in your head just picture smashing the ball so hard your hand will go through the floor, and commit to it. hit it hard, and you'll get a really depressing "pop" noise for your efforts :-)

edit: if you break your floorboards, dont commit to it so much next time. (and goto A&E to treat your new broken hand). :)